Malcolm Turnbull has shown a leader can be horrified by a terrorist mass murder and determined to combat such crimes without falling into the self-defeating language of fear and division.
The prime minister did not demur from François Hollande’s declaration that the Paris atrocity was an act of war. How could he – when multiple soldiers in combat gear launched an assault with explosives and automatic rifles?
But he also quoted recent conversations with presidents Joko Widodo and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – the leaders of secular nations where Islam is the dominant religion – to make the point that the Islamic State attacks were also an assault on, and affront to, the religion they claim to defend.
He was clear that Australia could not ignore the domestic risk but careful not to stoke community concern. Just as he did after the murder of Curtis Cheng in Parramatta, he sought to reassure and explain rather than inflame.
Bill Shorten had the same message, that Australians would not be divided, and that “with rise of terrorist scourge, it is important that the political parties of Australia stick together”.
Some commentators seem to be hankering for a rerun of the self-defeating debate about whether we are doing enough to “call out” the role of Islam, whether “they” are really on “our” side.
But even Tony Abbott, interviewed on Andrew Bolt’s television program, pointed out that national security policy had not changed since his demise, and refused to agree that the Paris mass murder could be backed by the Qur’an. “The devil can quote scripture to his purpose,” he replied.
Like Turnbull, Abbott was advised by the security agencies that the alienation of the law-abiding Islamic community only helps the terrorists’ aims and that their cooperation is absolutely critical to finding would-be attackers listening to the terrorists’ call.
Far-right parties in Europe may seek advantage in the community’s fear and outrage and will point to the fact that one of the gunmen entered Europe with the waves of refugees fleeing the same barbarians. Some commentators here will try to revive pointless divisions as well. But real political leadership is served by uniting as wide and fierce a coalition as possible to fight these crimes.
